Lenten Devotional - Day 31

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-2

“Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Gen. 12:1-2)

  Beginning the journey of recovery takes faith and trust in God. When we ask someone to give up their drugs of choice and begin a journey of recovery, we are asking them take a difficult journey. We are asking them to give up what they have known for quite some time in their life, something they have grown accustom, even if it is destroying their life. We are asking them to begin a journey to a new and different place. In their minds this new place is often viewed as a very frightening destination. Abram discovered himself called out to go in a different direction and found it within himself the capacity to trust God, eventually this experience transformed Abram into Abraham.

  When God called Abram in Genesis 12, that call utterly turned Abram’s world upside down and totally reshaped his life and his family members’ lives. “Go from your country” (v. 1). Abram had just uprooted from Ur; now he’s to uproot again from Haran. God has something in mind about Canaan, and he wants Abram to continue the family journey to get there.

  Recovery from any illness, cancer, heart disease, diabetes or addiction creates a great deal of confusion, fear, struggle, and pain. In the early stages, we may find the road set before us seems too dangerous and difficult to travel. We find we are too frightened to begin the journey. We may feel overwhelmed by the decisions that need to be made, in order, to travel into this unknown territory. Those who have decided to begin the journey are filled with fear and need the support of others to discover the courage to open themselves to the opportunities that treatment and recovery brings.

  “Go from where you live and whom you know to a place I won’t reveal yet.” That’s a crazy calling. God says that if Abram does that, he’ll bless him. Barrenness will turn into family. Family will turn into nation. By taking the risk and completing the journey, not only will Abram be blessed, but he will become a blessing to others. Abram’s calling in Genesis 12 can turn into a useful mission statement for us today: Trust God. Follow God. Be blessed by God. Bless others.

  A difficult journey requires a lot of trust in God to take those many steps of obedience along an indeterminate journey. But the Lord said, “Go,” and Abraham “went” (vv. 1, 4a), at the age of 75 (v. 4b), leaving much of what was near and dear to him. The people starting their recoveries are called to this and the church receives the same call. When we trust the journey set before us and follow God, we will be blessed.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: To face our fears as we begin new journeys as recovering individuals, recovering families and churches called to welcome them.

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